PS5 lands 6 free must-try new games so you don't feel left out from Steam Next Fest

It’s a great shame that more platforms don’t attempt to try and emulate Steam Next Fest.

Yes, in this year’s edition it’s more difficult to find the gems amid the AI slop, but there are still plenty of must-play titles to be found.

There’s no such equivalent event on PlayStation, but there are a respectable number of free demos available for you to try on the PlayStation Store, with no PS Plus membership required.

In fact, six new demos have landed in the last week if you’re looking to capture the essence of the Steam Next Fest experience on console - and they’re all well worth a sample.

Gold Mining Simulator 2

Admittedly, Gold Mining Simulator 2 doesn’t sound like the most appealing of games on paper, but it’s actually the highest-rated demo dropped on the PlayStation Store in the last week, correct at the time of writing.

Developed by Code Horizon, the game sees you set out to become the richest person in Alaska, using specilised machinery to - you guessed it - mine for gold.

The game makes use of authentic processes and real-time editable terrain - plus when you’re not working, you can build your own camp.

It actually looks really nicely presented too. The demo holds a score of 4.52 at the time of writing, with no launch date yet set for Gold Mining Simulator 2.

BOMBANANA!

Players have also been having a great time with BOMBANANA!, a co-op party game from developer Lefto Studio.

The game tasks you with disposing of bombs as you and two friends step into the shoes (paws?) of a group of monkeys. The catch is that one of you is blind, one of you is deaf, and one of you is mute.

You’ll have to work out how to effectively communicate in what is actually heaps of fun across a campaign mode, endless mode, and custom mode.

It boasts a 4.16 rating at the time of writing.

Rideshare “Simulator”

Developer UNIGINE’s Rideshare “Stimulator” has also launched a free demo ahead of the game’s undated release.

With Saber Interactive on publishing duties, this one is very nicely presented. It’s essentially a driving sim where you’re trying to set up and establish your rideshare business.

That means you’ll need to transport passengers, converse with them, maintain your vehicle and more as you explore a sprawling, breathing city.

The only downside here is that AI tools were used in the game’s voiceovers, according to a Steam listing, with the game also featuring AI-generated music. Still, its PlayStation demo holds a score of 4.33.

Lithium II: Me

Holding a score of 3.22, Lithium II: Me has definitely generated more of a mixed response, but there’s still a lot to like here.

This horror puzzle-platformer sees you awaken in a hostile world as a small, luminous being with no weapons nor idea as to where you are.

It’s very Little Nightmares-esque with your journey involving avoiding danger, solving puzzles, and more.

The demo takes you through the game’s opening, and with 51% of players awarding a perfect score of five, there’s definite evidence of potential.

CRYMELIGHT

CRYMELIGHT fairs slightly better with an approval rating of 3.33 with this roguelike offering up a free taster ahead of its November 4 launch.

It makes use of anime stylings and takes players to the afterlife where “girls confront their sins as they fight to gain freedom” which is a weird way to describe the concept, but okay.

CRYMELIGHT is actually based on Alice in Wonderland with the titular character, Alice, led to the afterlife by the White Rabbit. There, she must defeat the Queen to earn her freedom.

There looks to be some deckbuilding elements to the game’s combat which won’t prove to be for everyone, but there are plenty who enjoy that kind of thing.

LET IT DIE: INFERNO

We’ll finish up with LET IT DIE: INFERNO, the lowest-rated of the latest offerings but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, as they say.

It currently sits at a score of 2.88 with 34% of players awarding five stars and 38% awarding one star, which is quite the split.

LET IT DIE: INFERNO is already out in full with this roguelike dungeon crawler tasking players with conquering “the reaper’s challenge” and seizing their “future from the bottom of hell”.

The free taster takes you to Hell Gate, a mysterious chasm that reshapes itself every time you step inside, therefore allowing for endless replayability, if you like the gameplay loop that is.

And if none of these demos floats your boat, there are plenty more waiting to be picked up from the PlayStation Store that landed long before this latest week.